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11 Books to Make You a Better Teacher in Youth Ministry! · Ministry Coach: Youth Ministry Tips & Resources

0:00
SPEAKER_01: Today we're talking about 11 books that are guaranteed to make you a better teacher in youth ministry.
0:17
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Ministry Coach Podcast, the coach for the coach list in youth ministry.
0:21
SPEAKER_00: If this is the first time we're meeting, my name is Jeff Lascola, and this is Kristen Lascola.
0:26
SPEAKER_01: And today we are going to talk about 11 books that are going to make you a better teacher/slash preacher.
0:34
SPEAKER_01: And these are the books that I think like we've talked about books before.
0:40
SPEAKER_01: People are always like, oh, like what books should you read?
0:42
SPEAKER_01: Like in youth ministry.
0:44
SPEAKER_01: And we've we've had those lists.
0:46
SPEAKER_01: And these ones are more specifically around teaching that I would say I quote the most in my sermons that I've learned the most for in terms of making me a better teacher.
0:59
SPEAKER_01: And I feel like they've really rounded out my skills because let's be honest, very few of us have gone to seminary and taken a preaching or teaching course or know Greek, Hebrew, and all of that.
1:11
SPEAKER_01: Most of us just went to good old college, or maybe not at all.
1:15
SPEAKER_01: Maybe you just went straight into ministry or you're bivocational or something like that.
1:19
SPEAKER_01: But the truth is we still have to teach and preach quite often.
1:23
SPEAKER_01: So I love the idea of continued learning.
1:27
SPEAKER_01: It's not like even if you did go to seminary, it shouldn't be like, well, that was my education and now I'm good, you know, for the rest of my life.
1:35
SPEAKER_01: You should always be brushing up to become a better teacher and preacher.
1:39
SPEAKER_01: So, number one, um, the Bible.
1:42
SPEAKER_00: Okay, we're just gonna get that out of the way.
1:44
SPEAKER_00: The Bible is always okay.
1:45
SPEAKER_01: I came prepared for that.
1:47
SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay.
1:47
SPEAKER_01: Because this is how to teach the Bible.
1:50
SPEAKER_01: And people say illustrate the Bible with the Bible.
1:52
SPEAKER_01: Yes, okay.
1:53
SPEAKER_01: But the Bible is the most significant book, and we want to do a really good job of extracting the truth from there in a way that junior hires and high schoolers can understand.
2:03
SPEAKER_01: And these books will help you do that.
2:05
SPEAKER_01: And they're laden with scripture, okay?
2:08
SPEAKER_01: We always have to get rid of the obvious first, right?
2:10
SPEAKER_00: So this is book one B.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: Okay, we'll just say one A is the Bible.
2:15
SPEAKER_00: Moving, moving on.
2:16
SPEAKER_01: Moving on.
2:17
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
2:17
SPEAKER_01: Number one, I'm just gonna get out of the way because we've other than the Bible.
2:21
SPEAKER_00: Other than the Bible.
2:22
SPEAKER_01: Because we've talked about this in other episodes, and it's Stop Asking Jesus into your heart.
2:28
SPEAKER_01: That book is so good, so good that we ordered a whole case full of them and had every student pastor at every North Coast campus read it, talk about it, study it.
2:40
SPEAKER_01: And the reason it's made me a better teacher is because it really gives that salvation message new clothes, meaning it's so much more than repeat after me.
2:53
SPEAKER_01: I take you, Jesus, to be my Lord and Savior.
2:56
SPEAKER_01: Right.
2:57
SPEAKER_01: It's like, well, we're not just reciting a prayer and calling it fire insurance.
3:02
SPEAKER_01: Here's what actual saving faith looks like.
3:05
SPEAKER_01: And he really addresses the problem of like drawing on his own personal experience.
3:10
SPEAKER_01: Like, I questioned my salvation my whole entire life.
3:15
SPEAKER_01: Like, do I say the prayer again?
3:16
SPEAKER_01: Do I say the prayer again?
3:17
SPEAKER_01: Do I say the prayer again?
3:18
SPEAKER_01: Like, how many times to make sure I'm really in, you know, and I'm not going to hell?
3:23
SPEAKER_01: And he addresses that anxiety of salvation that if you've been a Christian for a long time, you probably have felt too.
3:31
SPEAKER_01: And that tension of non-believers are way too comfortable.
3:36
SPEAKER_01: Ah, I'm sure I'm a good enough person.
3:38
SPEAKER_01: And then Christians are way too anxiety-ridden, like, am I doing it right?
3:42
SPEAKER_01: Oh no.
3:43
SPEAKER_01: And it's just like such a here's what salvation actually means according to the Bible.
3:49
SPEAKER_01: Talks a ton about repentance and lordship, but mercy and forgiveness and grace, and that you can't outrun that.
3:56
SPEAKER_01: But also, what is the evidence of true saving faith?
4:00
SPEAKER_01: And it's written very simply, like you don't have to have a doctorate to read it.
4:05
SPEAKER_01: It's very easy to understand.
4:07
SPEAKER_00: The answer is JD Greer.
4:09
SPEAKER_01: Good Joe.
4:10
SPEAKER_01: I'm so glad you said that because that's why I didn't say the author, because I couldn't remember.
4:15
SPEAKER_01: I can picture the book in my head.
4:16
SPEAKER_01: It's this bright yellow, like little book.
4:20
SPEAKER_01: Um, I've read it and I gave it to our daughter.
4:22
SPEAKER_01: I said, I think you'd really like this.
4:24
SPEAKER_01: She's 13 and I think she'll have no problem getting through it.
4:27
SPEAKER_01: But it makes you such a better teacher, especially for your altar call salvation decision type of messages, which we probably should be doing a lot more than we are, right?
4:38
SPEAKER_01: Okay, number two, this book I have used for sermon.
4:43
SPEAKER_01: Like, if you want an endless supply of sermon illustrations to drive home what grace actually is with students, please read Max Lucato's In the Grip of Grace.
4:57
SPEAKER_01: You will have never-ending fodder for your messages.
5:01
SPEAKER_01: Like the way he he uses an entire book to give different stories, fables, anecdotes, real life illustrations.
5:11
SPEAKER_01: Like it's an abyss.
5:13
SPEAKER_01: Like it's never-ending to help you understand the grace of God.
5:17
SPEAKER_01: And it is, you know, how Max Lucato writes.
5:21
SPEAKER_01: A third grader could read it and understand it.
5:24
SPEAKER_01: That isn't saying he's not a good writer, but he's accessible and he is probably way smarter, you know, like, but he makes his writing so graspable because why would you want to gatekeep the grace of God?
5:37
SPEAKER_01: Like, everyone should be able to understand that.
5:39
SPEAKER_01: And I mean, I feel like it's one of those books that I'm like, star, highlight, underline, exclamation point.
5:45
SPEAKER_01: And then I'm like, I'm gonna just do this for the whole book.
5:47
SPEAKER_01: So I might as well just read it again.
5:50
SPEAKER_01: I've read it twice now, and I'm just like, oh my gosh, like it's a gold mine for sermon illustrations for grace, Max Lucato.
5:59
SPEAKER_01: Okay, number three, it wouldn't be a book list without something by Tim Keller on there because we all know I am obsessed.
6:07
SPEAKER_01: I love Tim Keller.
6:08
SPEAKER_01: Best preacher I've ever heard.
6:11
SPEAKER_01: He has a book called Preaching.
6:13
SPEAKER_01: Wow! Uh, and so can't do this list without Tim Keller.
6:19
SPEAKER_01: Because I think he's the best preacher I've ever heard.
6:22
SPEAKER_01: I listen to his sermons quite often.
6:25
SPEAKER_01: Just listening to him, I think, has made me a much deeper and better preacher.
6:30
SPEAKER_01: I think the way Tim Keller thinks is brilliant and he really challenges the modern Christian.
6:37
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's why he is so valuable to add to the voices in your life because he addresses the modern thinker.
6:47
SPEAKER_01: And because his church redeemer was in New York City, he was around very cultured, intellectual, wealthy, you know, socialite types.
6:57
SPEAKER_01: And they consider themselves very well educated and into the arts and into all this.
7:03
SPEAKER_01: And so he gets inside the mind of what would an argument be from the modern perspective of the gospel?
7:11
SPEAKER_01: And that helps you.
7:13
SPEAKER_01: It's almost like he's talking to them in the book, you know, and helping you.
7:17
SPEAKER_01: Here's how you talk to this kind of person, and here's how I've talked to this kind of person.
7:21
SPEAKER_01: Here's how I challenge the thinking of that kind of person.
7:24
SPEAKER_01: And he's not a peacock, like he doesn't come out strutting, like, all right, listen up.
7:29
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna annihilate you with the gospel.
7:31
SPEAKER_01: But it's just simple little questions or simple little challenges to how people might think about this ancient book that has nothing to do with my life, but he makes God, brings God into the modern age for those people, and it's just like brilliant.
7:50
SPEAKER_01: So, preaching by Tim Keller.
7:52
SPEAKER_01: I actually now that I'm talking about it, I really want to reread that one because it's been a little while.
7:56
SPEAKER_01: I think I listened to it on audio a couple years ago, and it was so good.
8:01
SPEAKER_01: But the learning process uh I mean, I love an audiobook, but sometimes the learning process through visualization is a little better when you're actually reading the words.
8:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think I need to do it again.
8:12
SPEAKER_01: Okay, this is an oldie but a goodie.
8:15
SPEAKER_01: Crazy love by Francis Chan.
8:18
SPEAKER_01: So, Francis Chan, some people have like qualms with him because he's like radical or something and just unrealistic, or I don't know.
8:28
SPEAKER_01: I've heard a lot of people say things.
8:29
SPEAKER_01: I love Francis Chan.
8:31
SPEAKER_01: He has a very special way of seeing scripture, God, his relationship to God.
8:35
SPEAKER_01: And I think crazy love.
8:37
SPEAKER_01: So if Max Lucato's in the grip of grace really challenges and illustrates our view of God's grace, crazy love does that for the view of God's love.
8:46
SPEAKER_01: If you really want your students to understand the love of God and then by extension, what our response to that love should be, read Francis Chan's Crazy Love.
8:58
SPEAKER_01: It will make you such a better communicator when you're communicating on the topic of God's love.
9:04
SPEAKER_01: I remember reading it, I think it came out in 2009.
9:07
SPEAKER_01: I could be wrong on that, but I remember reading it and immediately I'm like, we're doing a series.
9:13
SPEAKER_01: Series, I have a series idea.
9:14
SPEAKER_01: It's called Crazy Love.
9:16
SPEAKER_01: I thought of it.
9:17
SPEAKER_01: And I remember have it was so hot one night, and I had all the kids sitting out at our old youth building out in the parking lot, and I was just like going for it.
9:26
SPEAKER_01: And I had all these notes, and Kirk Curran was like, that was the best message.
9:32
SPEAKER_01: Like he loved it.
9:34
SPEAKER_01: And so, yeah, it's something I again I haven't picked that one up in a while, but it's really changed my view of how we communicate God's love.
9:42
SPEAKER_01: Okay, man, this one I literally quote all the time.
9:47
SPEAKER_01: I think I even quoted it in a podcast episode a couple weeks ago, Screw Tape Letters by C.
9:53
SPEAKER_01: S.
9:54
SPEAKER_01: Lewis.
9:55
SPEAKER_01: Again, it wouldn't be a book list if C.S.
9:57
SPEAKER_01: Lewis wasn't on there, you know.
9:59
SPEAKER_01: Um, this book is so creative.
10:02
SPEAKER_01: So Jeff and I went down to San Diego one night and saw the live performance of the screw tape letters.
10:10
SPEAKER_01: And it's literally a monologue of this guy the whole time, and he had like a British accent.
10:15
SPEAKER_01: So we sit down and we're like, this is gonna be a long 90 minutes or whatever it was.
10:20
SPEAKER_00: A monologue, basically, the entire book.
10:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
10:23
SPEAKER_00: Memorize so memorize the book and then do an entire monologue.
10:27
SPEAKER_00: It's unreal.
10:28
SPEAKER_01: At one point, there was this little demon crawling around.
10:31
SPEAKER_01: I don't think he had any lines.
10:33
SPEAKER_01: And so screw tape was just talking to this little like gremlin-y guy crawling around.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: And the first like 60 seconds, I'm like, I'm not gonna make it.
10:44
SPEAKER_01: And then my brain clicked.
10:46
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, same.
10:47
SPEAKER_01: And then it was like that felt like five minutes, and I was hanging on literally every word.
10:52
SPEAKER_01: So if you it might still be going, I don't know the last time that I don't know if that performance has ended.
10:59
SPEAKER_01: I know it was going on for a while, maybe in a city near you.
11:03
SPEAKER_01: Look it up.
11:03
SPEAKER_01: But Screwtape Letters by C.S.
11:05
SPEAKER_01: Lewis, it's a fairly short book, short enough for one man to memorize and perform in 90 minutes, but it was like, Are you kidding me?
11:15
SPEAKER_01: And it's not like here's a Bible verse on demons, but it takes the this concept of temptation is highly personal.
11:29
SPEAKER_01: Like it's not like here, I'm just gonna throw a bunch of random temptations out at humanity and see what sticks.
11:34
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm gonna personalize temptation for you.
11:38
SPEAKER_01: Dang, like eye opener.
11:41
SPEAKER_01: And so it has changed my teaching so much to tell students like what you struggle with is has been completely tailor-made.
11:51
SPEAKER_00: The enemy like invented the first algorithm.
11:54
SPEAKER_01: That's what I was just thinking of like, oh, you liked that?
11:57
SPEAKER_01: Right.
11:57
SPEAKER_01: Okay, how about a little of this?
11:59
SPEAKER_01: How about a little whisper of that hunger?
12:01
SPEAKER_00: Anybody that likes this probably likes this.
12:03
SPEAKER_00: Sorry about that.
12:05
SPEAKER_01: And it was just so targeted.
12:07
SPEAKER_01: And that was the whole point of screw tape letters is your temptation is so highly personal.
12:13
SPEAKER_01: Like it is a like it is a personal attack, it's not a blanket attack on humanity, it's an attack on you.
12:21
SPEAKER_01: And here's how you can be vigilant.
12:23
SPEAKER_01: And if you wanted to get into scripture, you know, you could really get into the armor of God on that.
12:28
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, you could do a whole thing on temptation, but it just puts it in this very artistic sense that it's like you see temptation like you've never seen it before, strategy of the enemy, the target that's on all of our backs, the waiting game, like you know, the patience of the enemy.
12:47
SPEAKER_01: It's like not this like Halloween, hairy, scary, woo in your closet.
12:51
SPEAKER_01: It's like, oh, you need a lifetime for me to convince you my way's better than God's way.
12:58
SPEAKER_01: I got time, right?
12:59
SPEAKER_01: I'm not going anywhere.
13:00
SPEAKER_01: Satan's not in a hurry, and the screw tape letters make that very clear.
13:05
SPEAKER_01: And the thing that stuck out to me the most about the book is he said something like, The road to hell is not like a steep, scary plunge, but a a slow, gentle ride.
13:16
SPEAKER_01: And I like, oh, like makes it gives me the goosebumps.
13:20
SPEAKER_01: It's just like, oh, so bad.
13:22
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
13:24
SPEAKER_01: Again, C.S.
13:25
SPEAKER_01: Lewis, mere Christianity has to be on here.
13:28
SPEAKER_01: Mere Christianity is just goes without saying work of art from C.
13:34
SPEAKER_01: S.
13:34
SPEAKER_01: Lewis about the fundamentals of what this faith actually is.
13:38
SPEAKER_01: And you know, going back to the Francis Chan book, you know, Francis Chan is pretty critical of the American church.
13:44
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's why people are like, we don't like you because you're criticizing us.
13:49
SPEAKER_01: But I don't think we throw the baby out with the bathwater.
13:51
SPEAKER_01: I think we have to say, well, why is he saying this?
13:53
SPEAKER_01: Like, what's his experience been like?
13:56
SPEAKER_01: And I think, you know, C.S.
13:59
SPEAKER_01: Lewis kind of he's not like, I wouldn't say like Francis Chan level critical of the American church, but he also makes it very clear like, here's at its core what Christianity is.
14:11
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's what Francis is saying is like, you think you know, but you don't.
14:15
SPEAKER_01: Like don't be deceived into thinking you're religious or a Christian or like in good standing with God because you sang a couple worship songs, or you have really good church attendance, or you even tithed once or twice.
14:32
SPEAKER_01: That's not what this is.
14:34
SPEAKER_01: And like challenging that American view of checking the boxes and missing out on the relationship and what it is.
14:43
SPEAKER_01: And again, with the thinking, C.S.
14:44
SPEAKER_01: Lewis and Mere Christianity just gives such a great mind perspective on not necessarily what to think, but challenging thinking at its core of uh naturalism and things like that.
14:56
SPEAKER_01: Of hey, the law of nature even says, like one of the best illustrations from Mere Christianity is like like the whole idea of relativism, you know, like you'll say anyone can do whatever.
15:09
SPEAKER_01: Oh, well, he says, Well, if you steal from them, they'll be saying that's not fair, faster than you can say, Jack Sprat, or like some something that they said in something they said in the 20s.
15:22
SPEAKER_01: Is he from the 20s?
15:24
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
15:26
SPEAKER_01: Probably that's probably way too old.
15:28
SPEAKER_01: He's probably more like what, the 40s.
15:31
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
15:32
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
15:32
SPEAKER_00: I'm not an excerpt.
15:33
SPEAKER_00: Jack Spratt, who knows?
15:35
SPEAKER_01: Well, Jack Spratt, seriously, but it like that whole idea, like the the big thrust, I feel like, especially at the beginning, is this idea of like relativism and what we do with that and how it like none of these humanistic views hold water.
15:54
SPEAKER_01: Take God out of the equation, they still don't hold water, like they don't make sense.
16:00
SPEAKER_01: Moralism detached from a deity makes zero sense.
16:04
SPEAKER_01: And if you are an atheist worth your salt, you should know that.
16:08
SPEAKER_01: Like, you can't have moralism without a moral giver.
16:13
SPEAKER_01: Who is able to give morals?
16:15
SPEAKER_01: It can't be one of us, has to be someone outside.
16:18
SPEAKER_01: So if you live your life by morals, yet you claim to be an atheist, and that's a big push, I'm sure this is where he got it.
16:26
SPEAKER_01: But that's Tim Keller's big argument, too.
16:29
SPEAKER_01: Like, we you can't have it both ways.
16:32
SPEAKER_01: You're moral and deity have to go together because who's the law giver?
16:37
SPEAKER_01: Who's the moral, morality giver?
16:39
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's a very it just challenges thinking, especially not just for teaching, but just conversations with students, like people who just have questions and push back.
16:50
SPEAKER_01: And I never do this as ammo.
16:53
SPEAKER_01: Like, I don't feel like we should be like, I'm ready, locked and loaded to have like a debate.
16:57
SPEAKER_00: Beat you down with an argument.
16:59
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't think we win anything in those circumstances, but being able to communicate reasonably, I think, is my goal, anyways.
17:09
SPEAKER_01: All right.
17:10
SPEAKER_01: Early on, I read this book.
17:11
SPEAKER_01: This, I mean, I was quoting it left and right.
17:14
SPEAKER_01: I don't have enough faith to be an atheist.
17:17
SPEAKER_01: I don't know who wrote it.
17:18
SPEAKER_01: I should have looked that up before we pushed recording.
17:20
SPEAKER_00: All these will be linked in the description below.
17:22
SPEAKER_00: So Jeff going, I'll do your research for you and figure out who these authors are.
17:29
SPEAKER_01: Where?
17:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, did you ever read that one?
17:32
SPEAKER_01: I don't have enough faith to be an atheist.
17:34
SPEAKER_01: It's like again, one of those perspective mind bends where you're like, Yeah, like this doesn't hold any water.
17:44
SPEAKER_01: Like, it takes far more faith to hold an atheistic worldview than it does to hold a Christian deist monotheistic worldview.
17:53
SPEAKER_01: Like, there's just like the logic involved and the you would have to break a lot of rules and rules that you live by.
18:06
SPEAKER_01: You have to break all kinds of rules of physics, mathematics, of all kinds of things.
18:10
SPEAKER_01: And the book just really puts that in perspective.
18:13
SPEAKER_01: And I it blew my mind the first time I read it, and I felt like I used it in my teaching over and over and over.
18:20
SPEAKER_01: And to this day, I do.
18:22
SPEAKER_01: It's very good.
18:23
SPEAKER_01: One of my other favorite preachers is Larry Osborne, and he is the founding pastor of our church, North Coast Church.
18:31
SPEAKER_01: He's written a lot of books, but my two favorite from him that have made me a much better teacher and preacher.
18:37
SPEAKER_01: Can you guess what they are, Jeff?
18:39
SPEAKER_00: Thriving in Babylon.
18:40
SPEAKER_01: Bingo bango.
18:41
SPEAKER_01: Let's start there.
18:42
SPEAKER_01: So Thriving in Babylon.
18:45
SPEAKER_01: Can you tell I love all these books?
18:47
SPEAKER_01: Just talking up, just talking about them.
18:49
SPEAKER_00: It gets me all excited.
18:50
SPEAKER_01: Gets me all thrilled.
18:52
SPEAKER_01: I just feel like when people put a really great piece of work out there, you're just like, you go.
18:57
SPEAKER_01: This is like life-changing.
19:00
SPEAKER_01: Thriving in Babylon is a life-changing.
19:02
SPEAKER_01: It is a whole book on the book of Daniel, and it is such a great parallel to modern society.
19:10
SPEAKER_01: You know, we're like, oh my gosh, what's happening to the world around us?
19:14
SPEAKER_01: It's terrible.
19:15
SPEAKER_01: And he Larry makes the argument well, it wasn't as bad as Babylon, and nothing was or ever will be, because that is the worst.
19:23
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, goes through what Daniel went through and how he stood up under this pressure, but in such a beautiful way.
19:32
SPEAKER_01: And it wasn't like picketing, like, down with Nebuchadnezzar, down with Nebraska.
19:37
SPEAKER_01: It was like, I will quietly infiltrate this culture and redeem it for the glory of God, God.
19:43
SPEAKER_01: And oh, what do you know?
19:44
SPEAKER_01: I'm second in command of an entire pagan nation.
19:47
SPEAKER_01: And they changed his name to Prince of Satan.
19:50
SPEAKER_01: And he let them.
19:51
SPEAKER_01: And he just was like, fine, and I'm vegan and stronger than all of you.
19:57
SPEAKER_01: And I'm gonna pray and you're gonna love me.
20:00
SPEAKER_01: Just a watch.
20:01
SPEAKER_01: And they did, and they loved him because he wasn't a jerk for Jesus.
20:05
SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, obviously he didn't have the concept of Jesus, but like he wasn't this like obnoxious Christian who was shaking their fist at the culture and just telling the culture, you're so bad, you're so godless.
20:18
SPEAKER_01: He was like, watch me like rise to the top and fine, like I'll be in your culture, I'll be in your little sick twisted world, and I will show you what it means to honor God in the midst of that.
20:32
SPEAKER_01: And I will not fold, I will not shake, I will not tremble.
20:36
SPEAKER_01: And he held to his beliefs and gained the respect of this like insane king who was like dark, like satanic, like the occult.
20:51
SPEAKER_01: Like we think like our public school curriculum is bad.
20:54
SPEAKER_01: Everyone's like, California public schools, I'm like, are they teaching witchcraft?
20:58
SPEAKER_01: Because you know, Babylon was.
21:00
SPEAKER_01: I think we're doing okay.
21:02
SPEAKER_00: So it's like so it's a lot further down until we hit the bottom of the barrel, is what you're saying.
21:07
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're not there yet.
21:09
SPEAKER_01: No, they didn't change our child children's names yet.
21:12
SPEAKER_00: Speaking of children, you may or may not hear our children either fighting or playing upstairs, but making a lot of noise as we do this podcast.
21:20
SPEAKER_00: So also there's a dog barking.
21:23
SPEAKER_00: The things we do.
21:25
SPEAKER_01: I'm not going down in this Babylon.
21:27
SPEAKER_01: I tell you, I'm gonna thrive here in this okay.
21:31
SPEAKER_01: Do you know the other lyric?
21:33
SPEAKER_00: I know I want to say sticky church, but I don't think it would be that one.
21:36
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I guess it good.
21:38
SPEAKER_00: Uh, give me a hint.
21:39
SPEAKER_01: It starts with an A.
21:41
SPEAKER_00: Oh, um, accidental Pharisee.
21:44
SPEAKER_01: Yes, Jeff.
21:45
SPEAKER_01: Good.
21:46
SPEAKER_01: Um, so accidental Pharisees.
21:48
SPEAKER_01: Dang, dang, dang.
21:50
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so we treat the Pharisees like they're the like the villains, and they're coming first.
22:02
SPEAKER_01: Showdown with Jesus.
22:04
SPEAKER_01: Uh, which is true.
22:05
SPEAKER_00: They are 70s psychedelic vibe.
22:08
SPEAKER_00: It's the the Western okay Showdown.
22:13
unknown: Wow.
22:13
SPEAKER_01: Is that what it's called?
22:14
SPEAKER_00: No, I'm just saying it's kind of like the showdown.
22:19
SPEAKER_01: Anyways, uh, I've been with Junior Haddis for like six hours.
22:23
SPEAKER_01: I'm kind of weird today.
22:25
SPEAKER_01: Like, we treat them like the villain of the story, yeah, right.
22:29
SPEAKER_01: That is not like how they saw themselves, and that is not how people who become this pharasidical type of Christian see themselves.
22:39
SPEAKER_01: They don't see themselves as the villain, they see themselves as the one who's holding firm to like the like what our fathers and grandfathers taught us, and we're not gonna budge.
22:49
SPEAKER_01: And Jesus called those people out.
22:51
SPEAKER_01: But Larry says we can creep as Christians into this accidental Pharisee territory.
22:58
SPEAKER_01: Like nobody sets out, like, I'm gonna be a pharasidical Christian, but he gives us like hints of like, watch out because they thought they were right and they were willing to like go to great lengths to preserve that.
23:11
SPEAKER_01: And so, as Christians in the modern era, what do we slide into that becomes pharasidical?
23:18
SPEAKER_01: And we might think it's in the name of like holiness, and you know, we're above, you know, the the dregs of culture and society.
23:27
SPEAKER_01: And Larry points out, be very careful.
23:30
SPEAKER_01: There's this fine line there, talks a lot about the motivations of the heart and stuff like that.
23:35
SPEAKER_01: I feel like that book is so good, especially, you know, if your church is primarily church kids or, you know, longtime Christians and stuff like that.
23:46
SPEAKER_01: I think this will be really applicable.
23:49
SPEAKER_01: Hey, quick question for you.
23:51
SPEAKER_01: Have you ever felt like you are working really hard in your youth ministry every week, but you don't know what the next step is or how to grow your youth ministry?
24:00
SPEAKER_01: Well, you are not alone.
24:02
SPEAKER_01: And that is exactly why we created our course and coaching program called Youth Ministry Growth Accelerator.
24:09
SPEAKER_01: Inside the program, we're gonna walk you step by step through strategies, systems, leadership principles that help ministries grow, both in size and in health.
24:20
SPEAKER_01: This isn't just theory, it's the exact framework we've used and taught to youth pastors all over the country and even globally.
24:28
SPEAKER_01: In addition to the course and coaching, you will also have the opportunity to join a cohort community where you can meet with other youth leaders who are on the same journey to encourage each other, share ideas, and stay accountable as you put things into practice.
24:42
SPEAKER_01: So if you're looking for a clearer path to grow your ministry, head over to grow your youth ministry.com to see everything that's included.
24:50
SPEAKER_01: Once again, that's growyouryout ministry.com.
24:53
SPEAKER_01: All right, let's get back to the episode.
24:55
SPEAKER_01: Number 10, it's more of a self-care book.
24:58
SPEAKER_01: I won't spend a ton of time on it, but it is Didn't See It Coming by Carrie Newhoff.
25:03
SPEAKER_01: It's not necessarily like fodder for like your messages, but it is for the messenger, I guess you could say.
25:10
SPEAKER_01: Just like the warning signs to look out for that, like he experienced this really, really intense season of burnout that almost took him out.
25:21
SPEAKER_01: And so he gives these signs of like, yeah, you're in ministry, and all of a sudden you don't see these different things coming that should be these like red flags, like, wow, whale, like something is wrong, something is off, something's not healthy.
25:34
SPEAKER_01: Address it and before it's too late.
25:37
SPEAKER_01: So that book is more, I won't spend a ton of time on it because it's for you, like to protect the messenger, but highly recommend it um for self-care.
25:46
SPEAKER_01: And then last and number 11.
25:50
SPEAKER_01: Love this book.
25:51
SPEAKER_01: Very dense, very long.
25:54
SPEAKER_01: Took me like a year to read it.
25:58
SPEAKER_01: Our concept of heaven is pretty small, but the cool thing about this book is it's all based on scripture, but he just kind of puts it all together and extrapolates everything he knows from scripture to create this hugely dynamic picture of what heaven is that is so exciting.
26:20
SPEAKER_01: And I think like his big argument is most people are like, so what do we do?
26:24
SPEAKER_01: Just like sing songs for eternity, play harp on a cloud.
26:28
SPEAKER_01: Right.
26:29
SPEAKER_01: And it's kind of like, yeah, I don't want to go to hell, but heaven, I don't know, sounds maybe a little boring.
26:34
SPEAKER_01: And he's like, that is a tactic of the enemy.
26:37
SPEAKER_01: If you think heaven is going to be boring, dull, main, mundane, and it's not something that you're excited about, tactic of the enemy, screw tape letters, right?
26:48
SPEAKER_01: So he puts together this picture of heaven that will literally take away any fear of death you have because you will be so excited.
26:56
SPEAKER_01: Like, I would like to experience that.
26:59
SPEAKER_01: And it's just so much more dynamic than anything I've ever been taught before.
27:05
SPEAKER_01: And it really helps me get my students super excited for that.
27:09
SPEAKER_01: So read it, really lock in because it's really long, but it you will be so glad you read it.
27:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we've uh done a couple other episodes on books you must read.
27:20
SPEAKER_00: So you can check those out too if you really want a library.
27:23
SPEAKER_00: You can have one of those cool libraries behind you.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: So distinguished my library is like this big, and most of the things not a reader, guys.
27:30
SPEAKER_00: There are books that I read when I was in eighth grade that I still like because that's kind of the extent of my library.
27:36
SPEAKER_00: So, anyways, all right.
27:37
SPEAKER_00: Well, let's do a community comment of the day instead of analyzing my lack of reading.
27:41
SPEAKER_00: This comes from HGNJCB, who says Kristen's advice and experience has led me to many decisions and issues in ministry.
27:51
SPEAKER_00: Even though our youth dynamics are very different, her tips and tricks almost always can be applied to the youth ministry at our church.
27:58
SPEAKER_00: She had really given me the spark of inspiration just when I needed it.
28:02
SPEAKER_00: I am so grateful for this podcast.
28:05
SPEAKER_00: Don't know your name, but we do appreciate uh your comment.
28:08
SPEAKER_00: That's very nice.
28:09
SPEAKER_01: Beautiful.
28:09
SPEAKER_01: And I'm always hearing them for the first time when you read them on the air.
28:12
SPEAKER_01: I don't read them ahead of time.
28:13
SPEAKER_00: Really?
28:14
SPEAKER_00: You don't ever go back and read any of those things?
28:16
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I read things when they first get posted, but then if it's posted late, sometimes I do new ones.
28:21
SPEAKER_01: What is that from?
28:22
SPEAKER_01: YouTube?
28:23
SPEAKER_00: No, this is from the actual Apple podcast.
28:26
SPEAKER_01: See, I forget to check those.
28:27
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for the reminder.
28:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
28:29
SPEAKER_00: We um you can leave a comment there.
28:31
SPEAKER_00: You can leave a comment in our YouTube videos, and that's usually where I Spotify actually finally has comments there too.
28:38
SPEAKER_00: So we do appreciate you guys hearing from you.
28:40
SPEAKER_00: I've said it but many times before, but when you record a podcast, for those of you that have your own podcast, you know it's like leaving a voice message for someone that you never know if they receive.
28:49
SPEAKER_00: So when you guys do comment, it does make it really fun for us to know hey, someone was out there and they liked it, didn't like it, whatever.
28:57
SPEAKER_01: But we like to hear it was worth the hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of editing.
29:03
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
29:03
SPEAKER_00: All right, thank you guys so much for watching and listening, and we'll see you next time.
29:07
SPEAKER_01: Today we're talking about the best practices for how to build a student leadership.
29:12
SPEAKER_01: So many words.
29:14
SPEAKER_00: Ah Thank you so much for all the all the doo doo boo boo-doo poo.
29:20
SPEAKER_01: Hey, as long as multiple today, nope, I can't say today.